Over a year ago, the Flower Hill Mall began going through a huge deconstruction process. There were lots of moans and groans when a movie theater closed, but once folks in the area found out that a new Whole Foods was going in, the moaning and groaning was quieted by the sounds of cheering.
And now...

Whole Foods Del Mar is finally open!

As with every Whole Foods market, the Del Mar location has infused elements from the surrounding area into the store design. Throughout the store are details of the San Diego coastline, as well as the famous Del Mar Racetrack. Some walls were textured to resemble the sandstone cliffs. Along one wall, bright yellow ropes represent the ropes jockeys hold during race season at Del Mar.

Healthy Eating Made Easy

Endcaps feature Health Starts Here, and throughout the store you'll find Whole Foods' Healthy Eating Principles, helping you make better food buying decisions for you and your family. Included in the wide variety of nutritive and organic foods that Whole Foods Del Mar offers are unique food items to delight any gourmand.

You will find all kinds of funky fungi!

What would a crunchy store be without plenty of granola to choose from?

And did you know you could crunch your own nuts??

Trifecta Tavern

One thing Whole Foods Del Mar has that I had yet to see at any Whole Foods until now is an in-store bar.

*cue the heavenly trumpets blaring*

The name of the bar is called the Trifecta Tavern. The name is a cheeky hat tip to horse racing just up the street. Craft beer has grown into a thriving industry in San Diego over the last decade, and Trifecta Tavern serves up many local favorites here. The casual bar/restaurant that serves many lovely wines will be serving a rotating selection of over 30 craft beers on tap, along with an extensive food menu.

According to the Trifecta Tavern manager, they are planning to do regular beer pairings and wine pairings. In between the special events, you can order food at the bar to go with whatever you're tasting.

Prepared food options include:

A sandwich bar that uses nearly all locally-sourced San Diego ingredients

An in-store bakery

An in-store kitchen serving up handcrafted pizza, chips and dips, and meals-on-the-go

An Asian menu, featuring sushi, plus Chinese and Korean foods

A 100% organic salad bar, as well as prepared salads

The store even has free wi-fi and indoor/outdoor seating. I may never leave.

Whole Foods Gives Back

Part of Whole Foods company-wide commitment is to support local farms. On preview night, we watched as Archi's Acres received a $100,000 loan so that they may continue provide organic, sustainable food to the community. Archi’s Acres has a program that provides training programs for transitioning veterans so that they may have careers in sustainable agriculture. One story we heard of was of a veteran that had, until recently, been sleeping out on the streets in Pt. Loma. After Archi's Acres training, he is bottling his own organic sauces.

Whole Foods in Del Mar is located in the Flower Hill Shopping Center at 2600 Via de la Valle. FYI: Part of the deconstruction and reconstruction was the building of a multi-level parking lot, so it'll be a breeze getting into and out of the previous crowded parking lot.